Case having casters

ABSTRACT

A case for storage or transport includes a top side, a bottom side, a front side, a rear side, a right side, and a left side, an outermost portion of the bottom side defining a plane. The case further includes at least one wheel including a portion protruding outwardly from one of the front side and the rear side, wherein no portion of the wheel protrudes past the plane defined by the outermost portion of the bottom side.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No.60/927,474, filed May 3, 2007, and which is incorporated herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The principles disclosed herein relate generally to stackable cases orcontainers used for storing and/or transporting items, and, moreparticularly, to cases or containers including casters for mobility.

BACKGROUND

Cases or containers for storing and/or transporting items are known inthe art. Such cases come in a variety of shapes and sizes and aremanufactured from a variety of materials including different types ofpolymers and metals, depending upon their intended use. Certain casesmay include casters with wheels mounted thereon for mobility. Certaincases may be waterproof, providing a water-tight seal for the storeditems therein. The storage cases may also be designed for stackability,wherein they may include intermating/interfitting features to providestability when stacked on top of one another. Improvements in the designof storage cases are desired.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the disclosure, the principles disclosedherein relate to a case including casters for mobility, the castersprotruding out only from a side of the case so as to allow the case tolay flat against a ground surface and so as to not interfere with thestackability of the cases.

In one particular aspect, the disclosure is directed to a case whereinthe casters protrude out only from a rear side of the case and lie flushwith the bottom side of the case, allowing the case to lay flat againsta ground surface or another case. The casters are configured such that,when the front side of the case is tilted up with the use of a pullhandle, the caster wheels make contact with the ground surface forproviding full mobility of the case.

A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in thedescription that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individualfeatures and combinations of features. It is to be understood that boththe foregoing general description and the following detailed descriptionare exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broadinventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein arebased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a case having features that areexamples of inventive aspects in accordance with the principles of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the case of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the case of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view of the case of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates a front perspective view of two of the cases of FIG.1 in a stacked configuration;

FIG. 6 illustrates a rear elevational view of the cases of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates a right side elevational view of the cases of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a caster mountable on the case ofFIG. 1, the caster having features that are examples of inventiveaspects in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the caster of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a rear elevational view of the caster of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the caster of FIG. 8, the portionof the caster wheel that is within the caster housing shown with hiddenlines;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the caster of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a bottom plan view of the caster of FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of the caster housing of the casterof FIG. 8;

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of the caster housing of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the caster housing of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the caster housing of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a front elevational view of the caster wheel of the caster ofFIG. 8;

FIG. 19 is a side elevational view of the caster wheel of FIG. 18; and

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of the caster wheel of FIG. 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An example embodiment of a case having features that are examples ofinventive aspects in accordance with the principles of the presentdisclosure is shown in FIGS. 1-4, designated generally at 10.

The case 10 includes a main body portion 12 for storing items and acover portion 14 for sealably closing the main body 12. In the depictedembodiment, the case 10 includes latches 16 for latching the cover 14 tothe main body 12. Other types of interlock structures for interlockingthe cover 14 to the main body 12 are certainly possible. As depicted,the main body portion 12 and the cover portion 14 of the case 10 mayinclude reinforcement or strength members 18 such as ribs for providingrigidity and strength to the case 10.

The case 10 includes a top side 20, a bottom side 22, a front side 24, arear side 26, a right side 28, and a left side 30. In the depictedembodiment, the latches 16 are disposed on all four sides 24, 26, 28, 30of the case 10. The case 10 includes a pair of lift handles 32 on thefront side 24 and a pair of lift handles 34 on the rear side 26. Lifthandles 32, 34 are hingedly attached to the front and rear sides and areused for lifting the case 10.

In the depicted embodiment of the case, the case 10 also includesstructures for providing stability when two of the cases 10 are stackedon top of one another. For example, the cover 14 includes a plurality ofbumps 36 on the top side 20 of the case 10. The main body portion 12 ofthe case 10 includes a plurality of slots (not shown) formed at thebottom side 22 of the case 10. The bumps 36 of the case 10 areconfigured to fit within the slots of an adjacent case 10 that isstacked on top thereof to provide stability. Two of the cases 10 areshown in a stacked configuration in FIGS. 5-7.

Still referring to FIGS. 1-4, the case 10 includes four casters 40adjacent the rear side 26. Other numbers are certainly possible. Inother embodiments, the casters 40 may be provided at both the rear side26 and the front side 24 of the cases 10. Each caster 40 includes acaster housing 42 and a caster wheel 44. As shown in FIG. 4, the casters40 and the main body 12 of the case 10 are designed such that the casterwheels 44 only protrude out from the rear side 26 of the case 10 and lieflush against the bottom side 22 of the case 10. This configurationallows the case 10 to be stacked on top of another case 10, as shown inFIGS. 5-7, or lay flat against a ground surface without any need forclearance for the casters 40. When two cases 10 are in a stackedconfiguration, as shown in FIGS. 5-7, the wheels 44 only protrude outfrom the rear side 26 of the case 10 and do not protrude out past aplane P defined by the bottom side 22 of the case 10.

Using a pull handle 46 that is located on the front side 24 of the case10, when the front side 24 is lifted upwardly, the portions of thewheels 44 that protrude out from the rear side 26 of the case 10 makecontact with the ground surface. In this manner, the cases 10 stillprovide for full mobility and can be rolled on the ground surfacewithout the casters 40 interfering with the stackability of the cases10.

One of the casters 40 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 8-13. Thecaster 40 includes the caster housing 42 (shown in FIGS. 14-17) and thecaster wheel 44 (shown in FIGS. 18-20) rotatably coupled to the casterhousing 42. The caster housing 42 includes a mounting flange 48. Themounting flange 48 includes a front portion 50 and a bottom portion 52that is oriented generally perpendicularly to the front portion 50. Apair of mounting holes 54 is provided on the front portion 50 of theflange 48 and a pair of mounting holes 56 is provided on the bottomportion 52 of the mounting flange 48.

One of the caster wheels 44 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 18-20.The caster wheel 44 includes a polyurethane wheel portion 58, bearings60, and spokes 62 (e.g., made out of polymer) connecting the bearings 60to the wheel portion 58. The caster wheel 44 is coupled to the casterhousing 42 using a machine screw (not shown) inserted through thebearings 60 of the caster wheel 44 and a jam nut (not shown) tightenedto the end of the machine screw to hold the caster wheel 44 within thecaster housing 42. It should be noted that the caster wheel 44 depictedherein is simply one example of a wide variety of wheels that areavailable in the art and that can be used with the caster housing 42 ofthe present disclosure. Other types of caster wheels and other types offasteners used to fasten the caster wheels 44 to the caster housing 42are certainly possible for use with the case 10 of the presentdisclosure.

Referring back to FIGS. 1-4, the case includes recesses (not shown) forreceiving the casters 40. The recesses are shaped to accommodate thecaster housings 42 and the portions of the caster wheels 44 that arewithin the caster housings 42 (i.e., the portions that do not protrudefrom the rear side of the case). When the casters 40 are mounted on thecase 10 adjacent the rear side 26, the flanges 48 lie flush with therear side 26 and the bottom side 22 of the case 10 so as to not protrudeout therefrom.

When the casters 40 are mounted on the case 10, even though the wheels44 do not protrude past the plane P defined by the bottom side 22 of thecase 10, the wheels 44 are positioned close enough to the plane P suchthat lifting the front side 24 of the case 10 and tilting it brings thewheels 44 in contact with the ground surface for rolling the case 10.

Although in the foregoing description of the case 10, terms such as“top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “right”, and “left” were used for easeof description and illustration, no restriction is intended by such useof the terms. The case 10 can be used in any orientation.

The above specification, examples and data provide a completedescription of the inventive aspects of the disclosure. Many embodimentsof the disclosure can be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the inventive aspects of the disclosure.

1. A case for storage or transport, the case comprising: a top side, abottom side, a front side, a rear side, a right side, and a left side,an outermost portion of the bottom side defining a plane; a wheelincluding a portion protruding outwardly from one of the front side andthe rear side; wherein no portion of the wheel protrudes past the planedefined by the outermost portion of the bottom side.
 2. A case accordingto claim 1, wherein the case includes a box configuration with the topand bottom sides being perpendicular to the front, rear, right and leftsides.
 3. A case according to claim 1, further comprising two wheelsprotruding outwardly from the one of the front side and the rear side,wherein no portions of the wheels protrude past the place defined by theoutermost portion of the bottom side.
 4. A case according to claim 1,wherein the wheel lies flush with the plane defined by the outermostportion of the bottom side.
 5. A case according to claim 1, furthercomprising a lift handle positioned at an opposite side from the wheelfor lifting the case.
 6. A case according to claim 5, further comprisinga lift handle located on both the front and the rear side of the casefor lifting the case.
 7. A case according to claim 5, wherein the lifthandle is positioned adjacent the bottom side of the case.
 8. A caseaccording to claim 1, further comprising a main body portion and amovable cover portion, wherein the main body portion and the coverportion include interlock structures for interlocking the cover portionto the main body portion.
 9. A case according to claim 1, furthercomprising reinforcement members provided on the case for rigidity. 10.A case according to claim 1, further comprising a bump located on thetop side of the case, the bump configured to be inserted into a slotdefined on a bottom side of another adjacent case that is stacked on topof the case.
 11. A case according to claim 10, further comprising a slotlocated on the bottom side of the case, the slot configured to receivean bump defined on a top side of another adjacent case that ispositioned on the bottom of the case when the two cases are stacked. 12.A pair of stacked cases comprising: a first case including a top side, abottom side, a front side, a rear side, a right side, and a left side,an outermost portion of the bottom side defining a plane, a wheelprotruding outwardly from one of the front side and the rear side,wherein no portion of the wheel protrudes past the plane defined by theoutermost portion of the bottom side; and the first case stacked on topof a second case.
 13. A pair of stacked cases according to claim 12,wherein the wheel lies flush with the plane defined by the outermostportion of the bottom side of the first case.
 14. A pair of stackedcases according to claim 12, wherein the second case includes a bumplocated on a top side of the second case and the first case includes aslot defined on the bottom side of the first case, the bump insertedinto the slot when the first and second cases are in a stackedarrangement.
 15. A method of using a transport case, the methodcomprising: providing a case including a top side, a bottom side, afront side, a rear side, a right side, a left side, a wheel including aportion protruding outwardly from one of the front side and the rearside, and a lift handle positioned at an opposite side from the wheel,wherein the bottom side defines an outermost portion; laying the case ona ground surface wherein the entire outermost portion of the bottom sidecontacts the ground without the wheel interfering with the groundsurface; lifting the side of the case including the lift handle usingthe lift handle, wherein the case is tilted until the wheel contacts theground surface; and rolling the case with the wheel rolling over theground surface.
 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the casedefines a box configuration.
 17. A method according to claim 15, whereinthe case includes a lift handle located on both the front and the rearside of the case.
 18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the lifthandle is positioned adjacent the bottom side of the case.
 19. A methodaccording to claim 15, further comprising lifting the case off theground surface after rolling and stacking the case on top of anothercase, wherein the entire outermost portion of the bottom side of thecase contacts a top side of the other case without the wheel interferingwith the top side of the other case.
 20. A method according to claim 15,wherein the case includes a main body portion and a movable coverportion, wherein the main body portion and the cover portion includeinterlock structures for interlocking the cover portion to the main bodyportion.